Endorsement of ABJ/SIA Book Piracy Countermeasures
Working with publishers and others to improve access restriction to piracy websites

Information security solutions provider Digital Arts Inc. (headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan; CEO: Toshio Dogu; hereinafter referred to as "Digital Arts"; Code 2326) announces that, in cooperation with Authorized Books of Japan (chairman: Shin Niina, hereinafter referred to as "ABJ") and the Safer Internet Association (President: Akira Nakayama, hereinafter referred to as "SIA"), we endorse awareness-based countermeasures against websites offering pirated books, and that our products will have stronger restrictions to block access to book piracy websites.

Since 2018 the ABJ organization, which is active in promoting awareness of book piracy, and the SIA which is engaged in efforts to counter harmful and illegal information and abuse on the internet, have worked with publishing, telecommunications and IT firms regarding book piracy websites as a measure to combat increasingly severe harm stemming from them, as well as to users of these websites. Now, these two organizations have begun sharing information about pirated book websites with internet security and filtering companies with the goal of restricting access to these websites.
Digital Arts has endorsed the measures by these two organizations in the past and has cooperated with public awareness activities. At this time as well, we endorse their public awareness efforts and going forward will add book piracy websites designated by ABJ to our products' internet filtering database to further restrict access to websites that condone copyright infringement.
Book piracy websites that illegally copy and publish books on the internet not only cause great harm to the authors and publishers, but there have also been cases of harm occurring when users who browse these sites are steered toward fraudulent websites that charge illegal usage fees, and cases of the websites spreading malware that steals personal information.

Digital Arts will continue to strengthen our cooperation with organizations that combat these kinds of websites, working together to stop the potential harm caused.

Applicable products

The URLs of book piracy websites provided by ABJ/SIA will be registered to the "illegal software/antisocial organization conduct" category in the following web security products in order to block access to book piracy websites.

The i-FILTER, i-FILTER@Cloud and i-FILTER Browser & Cloud products intended for businesses, public agencies, and schools

i-FILTER for home use

Related links

Authorized Books of Japan (ABJ)
The ABJ was established in July 2020 as an organization with the goal of creating a list of book piracy websites and promoting public awareness of book piracy. It is made up of 65 groups including publishers, author groups, online bookstores, telecommunications companies, IT firms and more (as of November 2, including supporting organizations).

It grants the "ABJ Mark" to signify online bookstores and online book distribution services that have received consent to use contents by copyright holders, and are authorized to be legitimate online book services.
https://www.abj.or.jp/

The Safer Internet Association
The SIA was formed in 2013 with the goal of a safer internet with peace of mind, and works together with its supporters who operate internet businesses, national and local government authorities, organizations and businesses, to make efforts toward tackling various issues facing today's internet.
https://www.saferinternet.or.jp/